Nobody and I mean nofreakingbody does prequels like Kennedy Ryan. It’s one thing that she knows how to tease her readers with the perfect concoction of chemistry and friendship, it’s another thing altogether when it has multiple layers of current social issues and concerns about family relationships underneath such beautiful prose she’s known for.

In Flow, Grip AKA Marlon met Bristol, Rhyson’s twin sister, when he was asked by Rhys to pick her up in the airport. And during her short stay in LA where she planned to reconnect with her brother, she also got to have the best, meaningful conversations with Grip. Some things were holding them back though from acting on their connection–like how Grip was such an unapologetic playboy and Bris had trust issues on people. And how Bris was forbidden because she’s the sister of his best friend and Grip knew he wasn’t good enough for her.

The thing about Flow is that it isn’t only about meeting the person you know would make an impact in your life in the long run but also it’s this brilliant short read that made it vital to try to understand the reasons behind each character’s actions.

Like it got a glimpse of how painful the relationship between the twins has been but they were trying to fix the bridge they once burned. I was so glad to see Bristol’s heart on the line here. Her love for his brother was something very powerful for her to fly across the country to mend their relationship.

And then there’s Grip who knows his craft (rapping and poetry) well. And while he had to juggle a lot of work on the side to pay the bills, the guy knew persistence like the back of his hand. He didn’t downplay his talent; he embraced it and he’s really good at it. I may not like his player ways because duh but I was absolutely enthralled by how much he could put up provocative exchange of thoughts about culture, race, anything under the sun even, with Bristol. Bristol, who’s like my fictional twin sister or my fictional mirror–whichever you prefer, was more than what I hoped for. She’s hurt when Rhyson left her but once she realized where Rhys was coming from, she understood and she’d make sure to help him realize his dreams. This Bristol was also trained to keep her feelings in a safe box without a key in sight. On the outside, she seemed to be this spoiled little woman who knew nothing but to party all her life but within was like a woman with so much to show the world. She’s smart, strong, a little vulnerable (which she tried very hard to keep hidden) and an overall kickass heroine. I’m sure I’ll be putting her under my Ultimate WCW of All Time list.

If I could name only one book who would deliver a socially-relevant story without even compromising the romance and the steam that comes with it, that would be Flow. No contest.

How Flow has been a well-rounded little treat of a prequel (!!) I have no idea. It’s more than what I expected and once again, Kennedy has rendered me speechless at the great lengths she set herself to go beyond in this story.

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Hi! I am April and I write to remember. I love sunny days, sound of salt water waves, and the feel of sand beneath my feet. I am in love with beautiful words, letters (snail mail, the alphabet), gold inks and red lipsticks. High heels, too. I invest my time educating the next generation hopefuls in a public high school, learning, reading and writing, with a few shopping in between, then blogging about them after in that order.

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Welcome

Hi! We are April, Jellie, Kcee and Sheryl and we are The Reading Belles! We love reading romance fiction with swoony men paired with strong women. Yes, we too just like you, love the perfect blend of drama and comedy topped with a dash or a mouthful of risqué!

The books we review are usually the ones we buy and sometimes include early copy from authors/publishers. This doesn't affect our reviews in any way. We don't earn anything from what we do aside from emotional fulfilment and blissful feelings after reading/reviewing what we love.